This is the complete guide to SEO certifications in 2023. In this in-depth review, you’ll learn what an SEO certification is, which are the best SEO certifications to pursue this year, how much they cost, and other useful tips to help you choose the most suitable SEO training program for your needs.
So, if you are wondering whether it is worth becoming SEO certified, this guide is for you.
What is SEO Certification?
An SEO certification is awarded to individuals who successfully complete an SEO Course. It shows that you have the necessary training and skills to work with search engine optimization.
There are many ways to get SEO certification. You can follow an online SEO course or attend a classroom-based course. As you’ll see below, the cost and requirements for becoming SEO certified vary per course provider.
Is there a Google SEO Certification?
Google does not offer an SEO certification program. If you want to become a Google SEO expert, you can follow an SEO course from a third-party provider and get certified.
There is a digital marketing certificate offered by Google Digital Garage that includes some lessons related to SEO, but that won’t make you a Google SEO certified expert.
These are the top SEO certifications you can pursue in 2023 and get SEO certified.
Best SEO Certifications of 2023
- The Complete SEO Course
- All-around SEO Training
- ClickMinded SEO Certification
- SEO Essentials Certificate
- SEO Fundamentals Course
- Advanced SEO Certification Training
- Complete SEO Training Experience
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization
- SEO 2023: Complete SEO Training
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course
1. The Complete SEO Course Bundle
We are proud of our SEO course, which could not be missing from this list. The Complete SEO Course Bundle includes 4 courses (SEO Course, E-commerce SEO Course, Keyword Research Course, and Google Analytics Course) and teaches you everything you ever need to know about SEO.
It covers the following topics:
- SEO For Beginners
- Technical SEO
- On-Page SEO
- Keyword Research
- Off-Page SEO
- Advanced SEO
- Conversion Optimization
- Website Speed
- Website Security
- Image Optimization
- Structured Data & Schema
- Google Analytics
- Local SEO & International SEO
- SEO Tools & Services
- eCommerce SEO
So far, more than 6200 students have enrolled, and it is highly rated. Upon course completion, you can receive an SEO certification, and it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
The course includes videos, checklists, tutorials, and an easy-to-use platform to help you learn SEO in the best possible way. The course instructor is a recognized SEO expert with more than 18 years of experience in the SEO industry.
Upon course competition, you’ll know exactly how to massively increase SEO traffic to your website as quickly as possible.
You can replicate the same proven process we’ve used to increase the traffic of a brand-new website to over 500,000 Google visits per month in one of the most competitive niches online.
When doing our market research to set the price for the course, we found out that good SEO courses were too expensive for the average person, so we are offering our course at a discounted price of $89, which makes it affordable for everyone.
- Vendor: Reliablesoft Academy
- Price: $89 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification course for beginners. It begins by explaining what SEO is and how it works. It includes many examples and step-by-step instructions to help students apply SEO in practice.
2. All-Around SEO Training
Yoast is the company behind the most popular WordPress SEO plugin. Their All-Around SEO training is part of Yoast SEO Premium, which includes the Yoast SEO Premium Plugin and access to all their SEO courses.
Yoast is a highly reputable company in the SEO industry, not only because of its plugins but also because of its contributions to WordPress and the SEO community in general.
The course includes 3 hours of instructional videos, and upon completion, you get an SEO certification and badge.
- Vendor: Yoast
- Price: $99 (per year)
This is the best SEO certification for non-technical users. In the course, you’ll learn how to optimize the technical SEO of your website without having technical knowledge.
3. ClickMinded SEO Certification
The ClickMinded SEO course is a comprehensive course that covers all aspects of Search Engine Optimization. Lessons are taught by reputable SEO professionals with years of working experience in the industry.
I always reference this course in my SEO training guides because it’s a good course, but the only downside is the high price tag which makes it more suitable for companies or organizations with big budgets for SEO training.
- Vendor: ClickMinded
- Price: $997 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification for businesses. It’s one of the most expensive courses on this list and most suitable for companies with a big training budget.
4. SEO Essentials Certificate
Moz is another company that is important in the SEO industry. They have been around for years, and their contribution to the SEO community is highly respected.
The SEO certification course includes 6 hours of instructor-led time and exams, and upon competition of the exam, you become SEO certified.
While Moz has its own SEO tools, the course is not dependent on their tools. You can follow this course without having a Moz Pro subscription.
- Vendor: Moz
- Price: $595 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification for non-SEO professionals. It’s only 6 hours long and covers both basic and advanced SEO concepts.
5. SEO Fundaments Course
Those that follow my SEO blog know that SEMRUSH is my favorite SEO tool. Besides having a great tool, SEMRUSH now offers a series of online courses that are free and come with a certification.
Their SEO course is delivered by Greg Gilford, an experienced SEO consultant with more than 16 years of working experience in the industry.
The course has 8 modules that cover the basics, technical SEO, on-page SEO, mobile SEO, link building, and international and local SEO.
It’s a good course and it’s free, which is great for beginners to SEO.
- Vendor: SEMRUSH
- Price: Free
This is the best free SEO certification. SEMRush SEO Courses, although they are free, they are all taught by experts and provide helpful information and advice.
6. Advanced SEO Certification Training
This is one of the most expensive online SEO courses on our list. The $770 price tag for 180 days of access is certainly a negative factor for solo bloggers or even small business owners.
But, that does not in any way mean that the course is not worth it. It’s a complete course that covers in detail all aspects of Search engine optimization. Lessons are taught by experienced SEO and you also have the option to attend an online classroom.
If you run a business and need a good course to get your employees certified in SEO, then this is definitely a course to consider.
- Vendor: Market Motive
- Price: $770 (once-off)
This is the best advanced SEO certification. It is a good option for marketing professionals who want to learn how advanced SEO concepts can work together in real-life scenarios.
7. Complete SEO Training Experience
Bruce Clay has more than 23 years of experience in the SEO industry and is one of the most respected SEO experts.
The course was available as a classroom live training course, but recently, it has been released as an on-demand SEO course.
With your registration, you get access to the course for one year and an invitation to join monthly live Q&A sessions with Bruce.
You also get the SEOToolSet, a set of SEO tools to help you implement and monitor your website strategy.
Of course, upon completion of the course, you get an SEO certification.
- Vendor: Bruce Clay
- Price: $1495
This is the best SEO classroom training program. If you want to experience SEO training in a live classroom environment, this is definitely one of the options to consider.
8. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization
This course is delivered by Coursera and offered by UCDavis (University of California). Coursera is an online training platform that provides access to several university-level courses.
Their SEO specialization bundle includes 5 courses covering basic and advanced SEO concepts. Among the instructors is Eric Enge, an SEO expert highly respected in the SEO community.
- Introduction to Google SEO
- Google SEO Fundamentals
- Optimizing a Website for Google Search
- Advanced Content and Social Tactics to Optimize SEO
- Google SEO Capstone Project
The course takes approximately 5 months to complete and the total cost is $245. This program is offered as part of the Coursera Plus subscription, which costs $49 per month.
After completing all five courses (including the Google SEO Capstone Project), you’ll be awarded an SEO certification.
- Vendor: Coursera
- Price: $245
This is the best SEO certification for agencies. Course instructors are actively working in the SEO industry, and in the course, you’ll learn how to approach SEO as a service provider.
9. SEO 2023: Complete SEO Training
Udemy is another popular online learning platform. They have many SEO courses, and one of their best sellers is the Complete SEO Training for 2023. The course has a star rating of 4.4/5 based on the ratings of 6,400+ students.
Prices of Udemy courses change all the time. At the time of visiting, this course was offered for $99, but you can get it for less if you register on their website and wait for special offers.
- Vendor: Udemy
- Price: $99 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification for developers. It covers many topics that an SEO-aware developer is expected to know, like page speed optimization.
10. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course
SimpliLearn is one of the big players in online training. They offer a number of certifications that you can either take online (self-paced Learning), combined with a virtual online classroom, or custom corporate training.
Their Search Engine Optimization training course includes 30+ hours of videos and besides SEO it also covers topics like content marketing, keyword research, and web analytics.
The course has 4/5 stars from 294 ratings, and it awards an advanced SEO certification when completing 85% of the course and passes a test with more than 75%.
- Vendor: Simplilearn
- Price: $999
This is the best SEO Bootcamp. Besides getting access to the self-paced material, you can also attend scheduled live classes (at an additional cost) and interact with the SEO trainer and other students.
Watch this video for a visual walkthrough of the best SEO certifications.
How much do SEO certifications cost?
Getting an SEO certification in 2023 is between $89 and $1495. Many vendors offer different types of courses, and each of them sets its own pricing.
The table below compares the cost of the most popular SEO certifications.
| Certification | Vendor | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete SEO Course | Reliablesoft Academy | $89 |
| All-around SEO Training | Yoast Academy | $99 |
| ClickMinded SEO Certification | ClickMinded Academy | $997 |
| SEO Essentials Certificate | MOZ | $595 |
| SEO Fundamentals Course | SEMRush | Free |
| Advanced SEO Certification Training | Market Motive | $770 |
| Complete SEO Training Experience | Bruce Clary | $1495 |
| Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization | Coursera | $245 |
| SEO 2023: Complete SEO Training | Udemy | $99 |
| Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course | Simplilearn | $999 |
The price gap between the lowest and highest-paying certifications is huge because of the nature of online training.
This is normal in the online world because there is no formal way of controlling prices. It’s the same situation in other industries as well, where prices for online courses tend to have a huge cap.
Do you get less value in paying for a cheaper course? Not necessarily; it depends on the course. The price tag does not necessarily reflect the value you get from a course but is more how companies approach their pricing model.
Are SEO certifications worth it? Do they make you an expert?
Any kind of certification that can prove that you have undergone training in a subject is good for your CV.
So, getting an SEO certification from a reliable SEO training provider will definitely help your SEO career, but certification alone does not make you an SEO expert.
To become a true SEO expert, you need the following:
Working experience with SEO – SEO is not a theoretical concept, but it’s highly practical. To become an expert, you need to know how to apply what you have learned in the course in practice and optimize a website for search engines.
SEO successes – SEO is successful when the rankings and organic traffic of a website are improved. Knowing the theory and doing the necessary work is not enough. A good SEO specialist can deliver results, with or without certification.
Should you pay for an SEO course?
The answer is yes and the reasons are the following:
An SEO course can save you time – A good course will teach you everything you need to know about SEO without spending time searching for answers on Google.
Use it for reference – There are hundreds of SEO rules to configure and for sure you won’t be able to understand and execute everything at once. Having a good resource to use as a reference can prove very helpful.
Follow a checklist – Most courses have checklists that you can follow to make sure that all-important SEO factors are considered while optimizing your website.
Get inspired – Some courses include real SEO success stories that can motivate and keep you going. SEO takes time to work and many times you’ll feel disappointed. Reading how others managed to make SEO work for them, will help you concentrate on your goals.
Learn from the Pros – Many SEO courses are written by experts with years of experience in the industry and following their steps will get you results faster than wandering around and the following advice from unsolicited sources.
It’s a small investment with great ROI – SEO can make you money through higher rankings and more traffic. Investing in SEO training is not a cost but it’s actually an investment with a positive return on investment.
Methodology
To help you find the best SEO certification for your needs, we’ve used the following criteria.
Certification – Only SEO courses that offer a certification were added to the list. There are a number of SEO Courses that are great but don’t offer certification, so these are not part of the list. You can view them in our SEO training courses guide.
SEO Courses only – Some providers offer SEO training as part of digital marketing training. Upon completion, you get a digital marketing certificate. In the list, we only included SEO-dedicated courses. View our digital marketing courses guide if you want to get certified in Digital Marketing and not just SEO.
Vendor Reputation – We only added courses from trusted SEO training vendors.
Always available – Some vendors offer SEO courses only available for enrollment on specific timeframes (usually once or twice per year). These courses were not included in our list. We only have in the list courses which you can enroll in today and start learning SEO.
SEO Certifications: The Bottom Line
Becoming SEO certified is a good decision for many reasons. For starters, you add another valuable item to your CV and this increases your chances of getting hired in the Digital Marketing industry.
If you already have a job as an SEO, it’s a great way to prove to your employer and clients that you know what SEO is all about.
Certification alone does not make you an expert. You need to practice and learn how SEO theory can be applied to practice. The best way to prove to yourself and others that you are a true SEO expert is to optimize a website and increase its rankings and traffic.
There are many SEO certifications to choose from. Each certification has its own requirements, targets a specific audience, and comes with a different price tag.
As you have read above, prices range from $89 to $1495. Study each course syllabus carefully, read the reviews of existing students, and follow the course that bests suits your needs.
Is any SEO Certification missing from the list? I have explained in detail how we crafted this list. If you feel a certification is not included in the list, let me know in the comments.
Great article, So many course providers i have never even heard of before. Thank you for sharing great opportunity to learn something new.
Hi Jatin
Thanks for your comment, glad I could help!
Alex
How many hours does it typically require to complete the ReliableSoft SEO Course and Pass the Certification Exam?
Hi Claude
It depends on your current knowledge level and how fast you can go through the content. Typically you can do that in 8-10 days if you allocate a few hours per day. What is more important is not to go through the material for the sole purpose of passing the exam but to understand how you can use the different techniques to increase your rankings and traffic.
I hope this helps
Alex
Alex, can the certification test be re-taken if it is not passed the first time?
Yes, we can retake the test as many times as you want.
Great article, So many course providers i have never even heard of before. Thank you for sharing great opportunity to learn something new.
Hi Sara
Thanks for your comment. Enrolling in a course is a great way to learn SEO, good luck with your training efforts!
Thanks
Alex
This article provides a great overview of the options for SEO certification and the criteria for making the list. I ultimately decided to pursue the ReliableSoft course and am 100% satisfied with my choice. The content and structured learning approach, industry examples, concepts and practical application, and best practices and tips are well done.
Hi Jeremy
Thanks for your feedback and welcome to the Reliablesoft community! Really nice to hear that you are happy with our SEO course.
All the best
Alex
exactly, its briliant information about SEO Certifications. thanku soo much dear. am very happy from this amazing information.
Hi Lisa
Thanks for commenting. All the best with your SEO learning efforts.
Alex
nice article, it contains all about SEO certification courses. thank you for sharing great information with us.
I am an SEO beginner and I was confused about how to get SEO Certification but after reading your article I got all the points about SEO Certifications. Your article is useful to me, and thanks for sharing this kind of information, this is the best article for me.
Hi Vikrant
Thanks for your comment. Glad I could help you understand the different SEO certifications and how to get certified.
All the best
Alex
I am a beginner and these SEO certifications are helpful for me. Thanks for providing this information.
Hi Harshil
Thanks for your comment. Good luck with your SEO learning. Indeed the SEO certifications listed above are great for beginners.
All the best
Alex
the best article, So many course providers I have never even heard of before. Thank you for sharing a great opportunity to learn something new.
Hi Deepali
Thanks you as well for your comment. I’m glad that the article helped you find a good SEO course for your needs.
All the best
Alex
Hi, I’m looking at buying this course. I’m a small High street shop in the UK, that has just launched a website. I’ve worked through some of the Yoast Academy but would like too further my knowledge. Would this be suitable for me in the UK?
Hi J Brooker
Thanks for your comment. Yes, our course (https://www.reliablesoft.net/products/courses/digital-marketing-course-bundle/) will help you enhance your knowledge and skills. It covers SEO and all other major channels (like Facebook Ads and Google Ads).
It is suitable for all users, in all countries and platforms.
I hope this helps
Alex